"This is the sound my heart would make if I could amplify it." ~ Carrie Brownstein

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Dubai Looking Promising

I just received some good news on the Dubai front. It now looks more promising that I will touch Dubai soil this September. The news was oddly exciting, considering how cynical I have been about the delays these past couple of months. Now we're back to the issue of packing for Dubai. I was just studying the price quotation from the transportation company on shipping our personal belongings to Dubai.

Let's just say: Ouch.

Once again, the sheer weight of my possessions begin to overwhelm me. I'm tempted to live out of a single backpack for the whole year in Dubai.

It's tiring work to pack all those books. I'm now on 20 boxes of books and DVDs - and we're still counting. During the shuffle, I finally found the CD box-set I was looking: Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega, and I was seized with this irrational but insistent thought: I must download all the Suzanne Vega songs to my iPod to bring over to Dubai; Suzanne Vega MUST come with me!

I just can't seem to let go.

When I first saw Carl's post on the R.I.P. III Challenge, my first thought was that I would like to take the opportunity to read Ann Radcliffe. Except I've already packed my Ann Radcliffe into one of the boxes. So, I've packed myself out of the challenge. With the move to Dubai, and the logistics of moving, the cultural shock and uncertainty - not to mention the learning curve of a new posting - I doubt I will have time to read or blog in the next few months. This really feels like goodbye somehow.

I thought it would be interesting to see my whole life packed into cardboard boxes. Now my life is a solid and expanding wall of cardboard boxes, and I am overwhelmed.

7 comments:

I certainly understand not participating, your life is pretty complex now as it is and it wouldn’t be fun to commit to something that might prove to be an irritation. I certainly hope things settle down quickly for you when you get over there, would hate to see you gone from the blogging community for too long, especially since everyone will be curious how it is going for you over there. I can tell you that I certainly didn’t find it interesting to see all of our stuff packed in boxes when we moved from one state to another nearly 10 years ago. Some of the stuff we should have purged then is still in boxes today and this summer has been partially filled with slowly but surely getting rid of that kind of stuff. To me if I had to rank them, my most important possessions are the ones I interact with…books, music, DVDs. In a pinch everything else could go. And if I was facing huge moving costs I would probably have to see out storage and just take my dearest friends with me and not the whole gang. I cannot wait, for your sake, until you are settled and enjoying yourself over there.

Carl - I'm with you on the most important possession being my books, my DVDs, my music CDs. I have 20 boxes of books and DVDs -- and 2 boxes of clothes. Hmm.

I've not touched the CDs yet. I'll need to find those CD sleeves and toss the jewel cases to save space. I know we've gone digital these days, but I always find it more reassuring to have the album at hand.

Right now with the cost of bringing things over -- and with the fuel prices, luggage surcharge is ridiculous -- I'm wondering which titles should I bring over?

Leave as much as you can in storage. You're going to be busy once you get here, and everything you bring, remember, you'll also have to take back. If you're only going to be here a year, save yourself the hassle and leave your good stuff at home.

Believe me, I know how hard it is. All my books are in a wall of boxes at my parents' house in the US. I miss them horribly.

But, I have a whole box of paperbacks in my closet that are looking for a new home, so send me an email if you get desperate for books and I will gladly donate to the cause.

you might split the difference. go with the backpack but have several boxes packed and numbered so your family can apply the shipping labels you send as you deem them necessary. That way you don't have the big outlay but still have your stuff available when you need it. Your first few months will be culture shock and running around seeing everything anyhow so just have the essentials. I've moved before and have a lot of books and i guarantee that in a new place... one shelf of dense books will be enough to get you through for a year or so.

Doc - Ah, I don't intend to walk around with that backpack so much. Just need to get myself from home to cab. Then from cab to the airport check-in counter. Then from Dubai airport to cab. Then from cab to apartment.